A delayed start to their basketball season didn’t faze the Tennessee Volunteers.
Overconfidence doesn’t appear to be an issue either.
After moving into the Associated Press top-10 Monday following two opening victories over Colorado and Cincinnati, the No. 10 Vols looked every part of an elite team Tuesday night with a 79-38 obliterating of Appalachian State in Thompson-Boling Arena. The Vols scored the first 13 points of the mismatch, built a 36-8 lead just before halftime and their unrelenting defense resulted in a whopping 13 steals and the Mountaineers making just 12 of 43 shots for a heinous 27.9% clip.
“This shows that how we prepare is how we play,” Tennessee sophomore guard Josiah-Jordan James said. “If you come and watch us practice, we defend each other really hard, and being able to carry it over against other guys we don’t know says a lot and shows that we’re a really good defensive team.
“Whether you’re a guy who starts or a guy who comes off the bench, there is no letup.”
The resounding win was Tennessee’s 399th at its home venue that opened in December 1987, while Vols coach Rick Barnes improved to 31-0 lifetime against current members of the Sun Belt Conference.
Even when Tennessee was cruising with a 30-point lead in the second half, Jaden Springer dove for a loose ball and Keon Johnson took a charge, and they’re both freshmen.
“That says a lot for the respect they have for each other, and it says a lot for the respect they have for the game, too,” Barnes said. “We talk about the respect for the game that you have to have. We want to make every possession count.”
Tennessee forward Keon Johnson (45) moves past Appalachian State guard Michael Almonacy (5) during an NCAA college basketball game in Knoxville, Tenn., on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. (Brianna Paciorka/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP)Said Springer: “It just means that we really want it. We want to make every possession count no matter what the score is.”
The Vols entered Tuesday ranked just 303rd nationally with a 33.9% offensive success rate from the floor, but they were 33-of-67 shooting against the Mountaineers for a 49.3% showing.
Victor Bailey led Tennessee’s balanced scoring attack with 13 points, with John Fulkerson and Springer adding 12 apiece, and James chipping in 11. James was 3-for-3 from 3-point range.
“I definitely feel a lot more comfortable with my shot, and I’ve been working on it throughout the offseason,” James said. “I had a really good night, and my teammates did a great job of setting me up.”
A Fulkerson jumper 13 seconds into the game started Tennessee’s wire-to-wire waylaying of the Mountaineers, with consecutive James 3-pointers providing the Vols a 16-1 advantage at the 13:23 mark of the first half. A Fulkerson steal and layup with 7:11 before halftime gave Tennessee its first 20-point lead at 26-6.
Tennessee will seek a 4-0 start Friday night when the Vols host Tennessee Tech.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.